By Alan Holdren
Catholic News Agency
VATICAN CITY – The Vatican department in charge of supporting Catholic health care workers has announced that it will soon release updated guidelines on bioethics issues.
The guidelines offered in the “Charter for Health Care Workers” provide a point of reference on Church teaching for medical professionals. It is being updated to provide current teaching on complex topics in the health care field like stem-cell research, reproductive issues, euthanasia and abortion.
Representatives from the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers spoke to journalists about the theme on 3 February after presenting the Pope’s message for the 19th World Day for the Sick.
Bishop Jose L Redrado, secretary of the council, said Catholic facilities are battling a “culture of death.”
In Phoenix, Arizona, one such clash involved doctors at a Catholic hospital choosing to abort the child of a mother with severe pulmonary hypertension.
Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix reacted to the news of the abortion by ordering an investigation and, after attempting to reconcile differences with the hospital staff, stripped the facility of its Catholic identity.
These types of cases demonstrate that there is a need to translate Church teaching into terms that are understandable in “modern society,” Redrado said.
“The language should be clear, explaining what the Church says, where the frontiers are, where there is a risk of crossing the line.”
Under-secretary of the council, Mgr Jean-Marie Mpendawatu, suggested that the revised document could serve to reduce the “mystification” attached to bioethical themes and offer health workers the truth of Catholic Church teaching in the area.
The Monsignor lamented the way that “invasive ideologies” often bury authentic Catholic Church teaching on issues of bioethics.
He referred specifically to reproductive issues and the use of adult stem-cell research and treatment.
“Many say that the Church on stem cells is behind the times, it doesn’t want to do anything, it’s not interested.” But the Church has centres for developing and promoting ethical treatments using non-embryonic stem cells, “centres also of research and treatment using (adult) stem cells.” he said.
The council, led by Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, is in contact with Catholic institutions to pair their knowledge with Vatican-approved doctrine.
Bioethics centres and Bishops’ conferences throughout the world are contributing. Mgr Mpendawatu said that it could be “very important” for the formation of health care workers who are often not trained specifically in bioethics.